Home Cooked
by PhoenixFire Lia
Summary: It's late for Thanksgiving, I know, I'm sorry. Ryo wants a nice, quiet Thanksgiving but between uninvited guests and Dee's usual distractions, like hell he'll get it.


Home-Cooked

Disclaimer: FAKE is copyrighted by Sanami Matoh…TOKYOPOP probably owns rights to it as well. But I'm keeping Ryo's turkey baster. 

Rating: PG-13 for language, sensuality, and "depictions of alternative lifestyles."

Pairings: Dee/Ryo, Bikky/Carol (but I'd watch out for JJ and Berkeley Rose mucking stuff up too)

Summary: Thanksgiving at Ryo's apartment probably isn't going to be the Hallmark holiday he hopes for, not with Bikky's shenanigans, uninvited guests dropping in, and Dee's own brand of distractions. 

Notes: I know, I've got fifty other fanfics I could be working on. But it's Thanksgiving, and I have to write at least ONE holiday themed fanfic! And FAKE takes place in New York, so writing a Thanksgiving fic is actually possible! 

_[for Sorcha…cuz you got this started]_

++

            Ryo MacLean intended to stay in bed all morning. His alarm had been turned off, he didn't have to report in to the station or fill out the reams of tedious paperwork. There was no school today, thus the routine early morning scramble was avoided. The apartment was peaceful, quiet; his room was dark, the shades drawn and the curtains pulled as tightly as possible, blocking out any form of natural light. It was also freezing. He reached out to pull up his blankets, having changed the sheets to thick flannel only a few weeks ago. They wouldn't budge. More alert now, he pulled harder, but they refused to yield. 

            "Mmph, cut it out," a hazy voice muttered from the lumpy cocoon of bed linens on the other side of the king-sized bed. The sheets flicked out, returning to Ryo's side. Puzzled, the fair-haired man poked the lump experimentally. It grunted. He repeated the procedure. 

            "You keep that up and I'll have to hurt you."

A bleary-eyed and half naked Dee Laytner stuck his head out from under his nest, checked the time on the digital clock, groaned, and withdrew into his protective shell once again. He mumbled something about it being too early to be awake on a day off and rolled over, falling back asleep. 

            "I don't remember telling you that you could sleep in my bed with me," Ryo mused, pulling the covers bestowed upon him up to his Adam's apple. "I thought we agreed you'd sleep in the guest bedroom." The 'guest bedroom' of which he spoke wasn't much more than a cot put in a tiny catchall room at the end of the hallway. 

            "Carol's in there," came the foggy reply. "Her aunt's outta town, 'member?"

Ryo nodded. "Right. But you have your own apartment. Why aren't you sleeping there?"

            "Fumigated for cockroaches."

            "And the couch?" the blonde detective inquired wryly. 

Dee sat up, grabbed the pillow he was laying on, thwacked Ryo upside the head with it, and laid back down again. "Go back to sleep."

            Ryo settled in, rolling onto his side and trying desperately to fall back asleep. It was no simple task, given the fact that worried thoughts about what had happened the night before kept traversing through his mind. He couldn't remember what occurred prior to his falling asleep. He hoped Dee hadn't done anything to him, the man was insatiable. Probably not, he decided, Bikky was in the next room and the boy had no reservations about barging in and beating the older man senseless if there was any threat to Ryo's virginity detected. He didn't have the heart to tell the boy that his virginity was long gone. That being confirmed, he dozed off, content to laze about for a few more hours. 

             Not more than ten minutes later, he woke with a start. His whole body felt heavy, pinned down. Ryo struggled, but found he was immobilized. He started to panic, trying to thrash but held firmly in place. A hand clamped over his mouth, stifling the scream that was working its way from his throat. 

            "Shhh, babe," Dee hissed, leaning dangerously close. "It's just me."

Ryo bit Dee's palm, forcing the man to let go. "Get off of me."

            "You woke me up, you have to suffer the consequences. But don't worry, I'll be gentle," he said with a licentious grin, looking rather smug draped across his partner, the sheets sliding from his bare back. 

            "Dee, no…" Ryo growled, eyes wide with panic. "You can't!"

            "Sure I can, babe. It's early, and Bikky could sleep through an earthquake. Just a quickie, he'll never know. Trust me."

            "I _don't_ trust you!" he yelped as calloused fingers reached under the hem of his shirt and tugged it off, tossing it away carelessly to land with yesterday's clothes, haphazardly thrown on the floor. "Let me go, Dee!"

            The dark-haired man shook his head, crushing Ryo's mouth in a fierce kiss. He squirmed, but when Dee thrust his tongue into his mouth, the blonde was forced to concede, digging his fingertips into his shoulder blades. It wasn't that he didn't _want _Dee, quite the opposite, but the man was just too forceful sometimes. He broke away from the kiss, tenderly pressing his lips along his partner's jaw. 

            "Ryo…" he groaned, grinding his hips against the slender man beneath him, fingers snagged in sandy blonde hair. "God, you're just so…"

One of Ryo's shoes sailed through the air and connected with the back of Dee's head. Reeling, he whipped around, fingering the spot where the shiny patent leather had connected with his skull. Bikky stood in the doorway, the other shoe in his hand, tapping one small foot impatiently. 

            "Get offa Ryo, you big ugly pervert," he demanded. "Jesus, when are you gonna learn that he's not some sleazy whore?"

Dee growled, jade eyes flashing with fire. "Bikky, you little bastard!"

The second shoe hit square between the eyes and the detective fell over in a slump. Ryo sat up, pulling the covers to his throat. 

            "And _you, _Ryo! I thought you'd be up hours ago. Shouldn't you be in the kitchen? Thanksgiving dinner ain't gonna cook itself, ya know," the boy reprimanded. 

Ryo's jaw dropped and he sprang from the bed, vaulting over Dee's twitching body and over to the calendar. "Shit! It _is _Thanksgiving! Oh my God, I should've been…dammit, Dee! You son of a bitch, I can't believe…there's so much to do…how am I going to…?"

            "Breathe, MacLean, before you die of apoplexy," Dee grumbled, rubbing the bruise he knew was forming on his face. "It's the four of us, there's no need to get worked up."

            "But…" he said helplessly. 

Carol yawned, stumbling into the room, a floppy pink teddy bear tucked under one arm. "I heard shouting. What's going on? Did Dee try and rape Ryo again?"

            "It wasn't rape!" Dee hollered. 

            "Yes it was," Bikky replied. "And Ryo forgot he's supposed to be cooking Thanksgiving dinner and is now having a heart attack."

The young pickpocket nodded. "I see. Well, Ryo, I can come help you. Bikky and I'll run down to the coffee shop on the corner and pick up breakfast while you get dressed, if you want."

            "Please. Take ten dollars out of my wallet and go get a box of donuts, Carol."

Dee's head shot up. "You're going to trust a pair of thieves to go into your wallet and get money?"

            "I trust them more than I trust you," Ryo quipped. "Horny bastard."

Bikky snickered. "Heheh, see? Even Ryo thinks you're a big pervert, you stupid monkey!"

Dee flipped him off. "You better watch it, kid. Or else I'll be throwing _you _in the oven and serving you up with some gravy and mashed potatoes."

            The kids scampered off, Carol leading an animated discussion about flavors of donuts while Ryo pulled on a pair of jeans. Dee appraised them from his spot on the bed. He smirked. 

            "Didn't think you owned anything so full of holes…and are those acid-washed? God, where the hell did you get those?" 

Ryo shrugged. "Somewhere between high school and graduating from police academy. I'll change into something nicer once I'm done cooking. I'd rather not get anything on me."

He tossed on an oversized and faded cornflower blue sweater and padded out into the kitchen. Dee scrambled into some clothes as well, scampering out after him. 

            "I'll help," he stated, moving to the coffeemaker to put a pot on. "It's my fault you didn't get things started sooner anyways."

Ryo smiled. "Thank you, Dee. I did manage to do some prep work last night, and I confess to buying our desserts from that bakery on the corner of 19th and West. It's the turkey that's going to be the big challenge."

            "Just let me know what I can do for you, babe, and I'll do it." He leaned over and gently kissed Ryo, brushing a lock of sandy hair from his temple. 

            "That's sick. Don't do that near the food," Bikky gagged, throwing on his shoes at the door and bolting. Carol winked, grabbed her coat and shoes and followed. 

Ryo sighed, scrutinizing his workspace. "Well, let's get things started."

++

            Dee groaned, picking up another potato. "How many more of these do I have to peel?"

Ryo glanced over his shoulder, rolling up his sleeves as he did so. "More than that."

The dark-haired man threw down the vegetable peeler in exasperation. "God, Ryo, how much are you making? I've peeled enough of these goddamned potatoes to feed half of New York!"

            "Dee, I'm feeding you and Bikky. You tell me how many potatoes I need."

He shot his partner a sheepish look. He and Bikky did have a tendency to eat Ryo out of house and home. If he bought a carton of milk on Saturday, he'd be running out to get another one Monday afternoon. Sighing, he picked up the peeler again and set back to work. 

            "What're you doing?" 

Ryo frowned. "Well, trying to get the giblet bag out of the turkey."

Dee put his potato down and crossed to the kitchen counter, where Ryo had put the rather large turkey in a roasting pan. He'd had it sitting in a glaze since the night before, so the bird was shiny with the basting mix. The Japanese-American man sighed, shoving his hand inside the turkey. Dee recoiled in disgust. 

"What the hell did you do that for?!" 

"The giblet bag is inside the cavity, Dee. Unless you want to eat turkey guts, I've got to take it out. Haven't you ever cooked a turkey before?" he asked, extracting a white bag and tossing it into the garbage. 

"No!" he cried. "That's the grossest…oh, now what are you doing?"

Ryo shook his head, pushing half an onion and a handful of herbs into the hollow. "Seasoning."

            "I'm going back to the potatoes. Call me when you're done molesting the poultry, 'kay?"

He laughed, rubbing butter on the skin of the bird before throwing the whole thing into the oven and setting the timer on the microwave overhead. "I'll have to turn it in about an hour. Don't let me forget, all right?"

            Bikky and Carol scampered in with the donuts, one hanging from the boy's mouth already. Carol stuck the change on top of Ryo's wallet and paraded the breakfast pastries into the den, setting them down on the coffee table, as the kitchen was crowded enough. 

            "Thank you, guys," Ryo said, scrubbing his hands off at the sink before meandering over and picking a donut from the box. "Dee made coffee if you want it, and there's a kettle for tea, too."

Dee ambled over and grabbed breakfast as well. "Now you two twerps stay out of the kitchen, got it? There's barely enough room for me and Ryo, and we don't need you getting under our feet. If you want to be helpful, you can set the table as soon as it's cleared off. Otherwise, just park your asses on the couch and watch the Macy's Parade, got it?"

            "Bastard," Bikky hissed, flipping him off. "And how come you're not taking us to the parade? Huh?"

Carol elbowed him. "Bikky, be nice, it's a holiday."

            "So?" he retorted. 

She elbowed him again, grinding out from between clenched teeth, "It'll upset Ryo if we fight with Dee on Thanksgiving. Do you really want to ruin this for him?"

Thoughts of Ryo running off in tears and getting run down by parade floats sprang to the mind of the young boy. He winced, thinking of the Rockettes high-stepping down Broadway with detective guts all over their shiny shoes. 

            "Fine, we'll sit and watch the parade from here. But you're taking us to see it next year!"

Dee rolled his eyes. "All right, I'll take you guys next year."

Ryo minced over to the table and dropped the potatoes into a pot, putting that on the back burner to boil. "Is anyone going to object if I put cranberries in the stuffing?"

            "Me," Carol said, flipping to the Macy's Parade. "Cranberry sauce I can do, but don't put them in the stuffing, please Ryo."

He nodded and shoved Dee aside, going for the box of stuffing in the cupboard. "Dee, if you need something to do, you can see to the green beans."

            "The kind in the can?" he asked around a mouthful of donut. 

            "No, Dee. There's a bag of fresh ones in the vegetable drawer. They need to be cut before I can cook them."

Bikky turned to Carol as she threw the remote onto the couch cushions. "When we grow up and it's the holidays, we're hiring somebody else to do all the cooking for us. None of this shit, kay?"

            "Sounds good to me. I'm not gonna stick my hands up a turkey's ass."

++

            They were all curled up on the couch towards the latter portion of the parade, Bikky and Carol at one end, Dee and Ryo at the other. Carol and Ryo sat in the middle, keeping the two archrivals away from one another. Dee was smoking, his fair-haired companion resting his head on the man's shoulder as he commented on the parade between drags. 

            "Damn, I hate Katie Couric. Somebody needs to switch her to decaf or something."

Bikky shot him an icy blue glare. "Would you shut up? I'm trying to watch this."

            "What's the point? It's the same every year. Only this year they've got that crossdressing dude from that musical and a new batch of obnoxious teen singers."

The timer in the kitchen buzzed, launching Ryo from his comfortable spot on the couch. He padded over to the oven, picking up a pair of mitts and opening the door. With a little struggle, the slender man managed to haul the roasting pan out, setting it down on a wire rack he'd put on the counter. He went to push the oven rack back into place and close up the oven, bared arm accidentally brushing against some inner portion of the oven. Ryo let out a sharp cry of pain, backing away from the oven and clutching his arm. 

"Ryo?" Dee called, jogging into the kitchen. Sable eyes fixed on him, suffused with tears. The dark-haired man shut up the oven and crossed to his companion, examining the red welt that had been seared in a thick stripe across his forearm. "You okay, babe?"

"It _hurts_," he ground out, moving to run his arm under cold water. Dee grabbed him and kissed the reddened flesh, popping open the freezer and slapping a bag of frozen corn on the burn. 

"I'll go grab the first aid kit and bandage that up for you. I think there's some Neosporin or something in it for burns," he said, pulling up a chair for the half-Japanese man. "By the way, the bird looks good."

Ryo glanced over at his turkey and smiled. It was a crisp golden-brown, absolutely Norman Rockwell perfect, the little plastic timing thingy jammed in the breast proudly sticking out. Dee returned moments later with the first aid kit from the bathroom, rubbing some aloe-smelling ointment on the shiny burn and wrapping it up with the last of the bandage from a particular roll. The blonde man kissed him in thanks and patted his shoulder as he got up to check on the pots simmering on the stove, Dee sticking the kit back in the medicine cabinet before sinking back down on the couch with the kids. 

"Santa show up yet?" he asked. 

"Nope," Carol said absently. "But he's supposed to be here soon. All you missed was that American Idol guy, the really dorky-looking one with the bad haircut."

Dee nodded. "You sure you're okay, Ryo?"

            "I'm fine, thank you, Dee. We'll eat as soon as the parade's over."

Bikky's head appeared from over the back of the couch. "Good, I'm getting hungry!"

            Ryo went around and shut off burners, doling out the contents of his stainless steel kitchenware into serving dishes, the bowls and plates he'd taken from his parents' home. The back of his throat burned and his hands shook as he set the gravy boat down and dipped the ladle in it. Just seeing the plates made him think of the last Thanksgiving he'd had with his parents. They'd come home from Europe just for the day, just so their only son wouldn't be alone. They were teasing that it would be the last one he'd have before going off to college, and there'd been the traditional MacLean family feud over the presence of Japanese cuisine alongside the traditional American fare. His mother had insisted on putting a dish of wasabi next to the cranberry sauce. 

            "Babe?" Dee murmured in his ear. "You all right?"

Ryo whipped around. "How'd you get over here so fast? I thought you were on the couch."

            "I walked over while you were fixated on the breadbasket. Are you all right, Ryo?" he repeated, hands clutching at his shoulders. He nodded solemnly. 

            "Just thinking about my parents. I miss them a lot."

Dee sighed heavily, holding the smaller man close. "I know. But I'll bet they're chilling with Aristotle and Shakespeare and Joan of Arc and the rest of those saints, pointing and saying, 'That one, he's our Ryo, the best cop in New York, a loving father to a boy he adopted off the streets, and a caring boyfriend. We're the proudest parents in all of Paradise.' And Frank Sinatra and the rest of them'll have nothing on your folks."

            "Dee…" he mumbled. "Thanks."

            "Hey, anything for you, babe. Now let's plate that bird, I'm starved and the kids are starting to gnaw on the furniture."

++

            Ryo had barely got the first forkful of dinner to his mouth when the doorbell rang. Dee shot him a look of warning from over the dish of green beans. 

            "Don't get that," he advised. 

The blonde man arched an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Dee handed Bikky the stuffing, the boy eyeing it warily, trying to decide if it had been tampered with. "Because I've got this feeling that whoever's behind that door, we're not going to want in here."

            "Like those guys from your office that keep hitting on you?" Carol asked around a mouthful of turkey. "Yeah, better not let them in, Ryo."

Ryo shook his head, putting his napkin down on his chair before getting up and answering the door. He'd since changed clothes, wearing a pair of cocoa-colored corduroys and a mohair sweater the color of coffee mixed with cream. The door swung open, and Dee couldn't help but hold his breath. 

            "Where's Dee?" 

Not even a 'hi Ryo, how are you? Hope I haven't interrupted anything,' nope, not from JJ Adams. The first and foremost thing on the young sharpshooter's mind would always be his 'one true love,' despite the fact that Dee had repeatedly told him to get lost. JJ ushered himself inside, dropping his coat haphazardly and not taking off his shoes. Ryo glared holes into his retreating form. It was a House Rule, with capital letters, that one takes their shoes off before setting foot in the MacLean apartment. 

            "JJ, we were just sitting down to eat. Do you mind…"

            "Joining you? Not at all, thanks," he said, parking himself in the chair Ryo had previously been occupying, tucking into the plate of food that had also formerly been Ryo's. Jade eyes fixed on the interloper with cold fury. 

            "Get your ass out of Ryo's chair, JJ, and stop eating his dinner. Don't you have your own family to eat Thanksgiving dinner with? Relatives you could be bothering?"

He shook his head, drowning everything in gravy. "Flight got canceled, so rather than go to Aspen, I thought I'd come and spend the holiday with the man I love!"

            Ryo let out an exasperated sigh and was about to shut the door when another body pressed its way inside. At least Berkeley Rose remembered to take off his shoes before barging in. 

            "Lieutenant Rose?!" Ryo yelped, jumping back about three feet. "This is…unexpected."

The blonde man smiled and presented him with a box. "Yes, I apologize for such a last minute intrusion, but I, like Adams, was stranded at LaGuardia and decided to make the most of the holiday and seek the warmth of your hearth. I hope a pecan pie can rectify this invasion of your lovely home." 

            "Bikky, can you scare up some more chairs?" Ryo asked. "Please?" 

The blue-eyed boy got up, grumbling under his breath, "All these perverts in my freaking house. Any of them mess with Ryo and they'll get their asses kicked, no doubt about that."

Carol frowned, taking a sip of cranberry soda. "This is going to be a real Kodak moment."

++

            Dee was nearly growling through dinner. While Bikky and Carol had veritable halos over their heads, it wasn't them he was ready to kill. Rose had planted himself next to Ryo and was shooting him lusty looks every three seconds. As for JJ, the pale-haired man had scooted his chair as close to him as possible, his hand grazing over Dee's thighs. 

            "Get your hand off my crotch, JJ," he hissed, shifting to the other side of the chair. 

Ryo shot him a helpless glance. "Um…if it's all right…well, it was a tradition in our house to go around the table and say what we're thankful for. Does somebody want to start?"

            "I will!" Carol declared, waving her hand. "I'm thankful that Ryo is such a good cook, because if he wasn't, I'd be sitting at home eating a turkey sandwich from the 57th Street Deli."

Bikky swallowed and glared at everyone. "I'm thankful you're all going home after this."

            "I am thankful that I'm able to spend my holiday with my darling Dee-senpai!" JJ crowed. 

Dee gagged, squirming further away from him. "I'm thankful that Ryo and I became partners, because it was the best thing Chief Smith could have ever done for either of us."

            "I'm thankful that the fates always seem to work in my favor," Rose said with a smile that made Ryo feel like he was some sex toy on display. 

            "I…" Ryo said quietly, eyes cast towards his plate. "I'm thankful that I have this family who cares about me, it makes the holidays less painful knowing that I'm surrounded by people that love me. Next week would've been my parents' thirtieth wedding anniversary."

Dee shot him a sympathetic smile, one of his rare, truly warm and loving ones, the kind that made Ryo's knees go weak. 

            "Bikky, Carol, why don't you guys help me clear the table?" he suggested. 

It seemed for a moment that Bikky was going to protest, but Carol gave him a look and sure enough, the boy was obediently removing the dishes from the table and whisking them off to the sink. Ryo felt awkward, stuck at the table with his rival and his stalker. 

            "What happened to your arm, Ryo?" JJ asked, pointing to the bandages.

He blushed. "I accidentally burned myself closing the oven door. It's nothing serious, though."

Rose patted his arm. "You should take better care of yourself, Ryo."

            "Hey, Ryo, what are we doing with the leftovers?" Dee called. "Is there something we can put these in? We've still got a good quarter of a turkey."

Ryo quietly excused himself from the table and crossed to the sink. Dee leaned close to him, pretending to be occupying himself with wrapping up the remainder of the meal. He knew perfectly well where Ryo kept his containers, but needed a plausible cover to talk to him. 

            "You all right?" he whispered. 

            "Dee, I want them gone. I don't like the way JJ has been pawing you."

He frowned. "Yeah, well Rose is at the top of my shit list too. Think we should have the munchkins do a little pest control before I have to shove this baster up his ass?"

            "We can't, Dee, it's impolite, even if Bikky and Carol chase them out."

Dee groaned under his breath. Ryo had the look of a man whose nice quiet holiday had been completely shattered. All the man wanted was a peaceful holiday, the two detectives and the kids, spending the day as a family. And Bikky had been on his best behavior too, which made it all the more frustrating. The airline industry would soon rue the day they pissed off Dee Laytner. 

            "I'm sorry, babe. I promise I'll make it up to you."

++

            JJ and Rose stayed through coffee and dessert, settling in to watch _Miracle on 34th Street, _the original black-and-white version, along with the kids. Bikky and Carol would've rather watched cartoons, but the networks were running continuous loops of Thanksgiving themed shows, and they'd sooner let Dee move in than watch them. As it was, the two kids were glaring bloody murder at the sharpshooter and the commissioner. They'd hoped to have dinner with Ryo…and the idiot, Bikky added grudgingly…sack out together on the couch, have more pie for supper and fall asleep together in the guest bedroom at the end of the hall, where Ryo wouldn't be able to hear if they were fooling around. They were even considering leaving Dee alone for the rest of the night, hoping that he'd stuff himself sick and be too full to try and screw around with Ryo. No such luck. And JJ had latched himself tightly to Dee's arm, like a big, dopily grinning blue-eyed leech. 

            "JJ, you're cutting off the circulation to my arm. Let go."

            "But Dee-senpai, this is such a romantic movie! Doesn't it get you in the mood?"

He stared at the young detective incredulously. "It's a Christmas flick. The only thing it gets me in the mood for is a glass of eggnog and stringing lights on the side of a house."

Ryo set down several more cups of coffee and tea, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Can I get anyone anything else while I'm up?"

            "Nope, I'm good," JJ chirped, snuggling closer to the repulsed Dee. The others shook their heads as well, Bikky and Carol still working on the pumpkin pie and grousing about being relegated to the floor. Ryo swayed a little, his hand going to his temple. 

            "Well, then if everyone will excuse me, I think I'm going to lie down."

Dee glanced up at him. "Jesus, Ryo, you've gone completely gray. Are you feeling all right?"

The color had drained from his face completely, lips pale and drawn in a thin line as he whispered a timid negation before disappearing into the bedroom. 

            "I'll stay with him," Carol volunteered, springing to her feet and chasing after her current caretaker. Bikky rose as well. 

            "And I'll help," he added. 

Dee shook his head vehemently. "That's all right, Bikky. You stay out here with me. It'd be a huge help to Ryo if you cleaned up the tea and coffee shit and got the pies in the fridge."

            "I can see that we've overstayed our welcome. Come on, JJ, I think it's time we left," Rose offered, picking up his unfinished cup of coffee and bringing into the kitchen. 

JJ waved a hand dismissively. "You can go, Berk. I'm gonna stay here in case Dee needs me."

            "I can manage, JJ," Dee replied, still trying to shake him off. "But it isn't fair to Carol to make her take care of a man twice her age. So I'm going to say this as nice as I can. Go on home, I've got things covered here."

            "But Dee…" he whimpered. 

            "JJ, I'm serious. The best thing you can do for me is going home. I'll even let you take the apple pie."

Bikky walked over and kicked the sharpshooter in the kneecaps, ice blue eyes glaring coldly. "You heard Dee! Ryo's sick, go home!"

            "You little bastard!" JJ growled. "I'm gonna get you for that!"

He stuck out his tongue and flipped him off. "Sorry, sucker, but nobody threatens Bikky Goldman but that big dumb ape over there. Now head home so I can take care of my dad!"

Dee frowned at being called a 'big dumb ape' but appreciated the kid's sentiment. 

            "Your…dad?" Rose echoed. 

            "Yeah, my dad, you got a problem, Goldilocks? I don't see anybody else here who makes me lunch every day and nags me to pick up my room and shit. Ryo's my dad."

JJ pouted but decided to relent. "Fine, I can see that I'm not wanted here. Goodbye, my love!"

            "Nice seeing you, happy holidays, goodbye," Dee replied with not a single iota of emotion, all but pushing JJ out the door. 

Rose stepped forward, prepared to make his exit as well. "I thank you for going to all of that trouble and hope Ryo feels better. I concede to you for now, Dee, but mark my words. Someday you're going to screw up, and Ryo will be all mine."

            "Yeah, the day that happens is the day I drop dead. Have a good weekend, Lieutenant, see you on Monday," Dee replied with the same complete lack of sentiment, adding under his breath, "You asshole."

The commissioner let himself out, so as to keep Dee from having the satisfaction of slamming the door in his face, muttering to himself, "Damn son-of-a-bitch. If you weren't such a good cop I'd fire your ass in two seconds and reassign Ryo to me in the heartbeat after that."

            "Thank God," Dee sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Hey, Bikky?"

He frowned. "What do you want?"

            "Nothing, just thought I'd tell ya that you did a good job today. Ryo's real proud of you, and I guess I am too…which is why I'm going to give you twenty bucks. Go take Carol to the movies and have yourselves a damn good time, all right?"

Bikky stared at the crisp bill in disbelief. "Is this some kind of a trick? Are you throwing me out of the house? Ryo's sick, you pervert!" 

            "I'm not throwing you out of the house, Bikky. I'm rewarding you. Just no sneaking into R-rated movies and call when you're on your way home. You can take my cell phone," he offered. 

            "…Thanks, Dee," he stammered. 

The dark-haired man grinned. "Hey, you earned it. I know you hate my guts, kid, but we make a pretty good team. You think we can call a truce and work together to keep Ryo safe from goons like JJ and Rose?"

            "I wouldn't hold your breath," the kid retorted. "But talk to me after Christmas, maybe we can work something out."

            "DEE!" Carol screamed from the bedroom. "Get your ass in here!"

He sighed, rolling his pale jade eyes. "That's my cue. I'll go rescue your girl, you get my phone and get ready to jet on outta here. And hey, don't get caught fooling around in the back of the theater, because Ryo will kill you two if he finds out."

++

            Carol sat at the foot of the bed, glowering. "You owe me so big, Dee. I had to hold his hair back! I don't _do _puke, Dee!"

He nodded. "I know, I know, I'm sorry Carol. Thanks a heap, though, I really mean it. Now go on, I gave Bikky some money, he's taking you to the movies. I'll see you later, Carol."

            "Kay. And tell Ryo I said he better get well quick, he's supposed to be taking me Christmas shopping over the weekend!"

            "Can do," Dee replied, saluting as the girl hurried out of the bedroom just as Ryo was stumbling in through the door that connected his room to the bathroom. He staggered past Dee and collapsed in bed, face gray-green. 

            "That was awful," he moaned, letting his partner pull the covers over him. "Oh God…"

            "It's all right, babe, you just had a bad reaction to something. I'll get you a little weak tea in a while. You just rest up, I'll take care of you."

Ryo's glazed eyes fixed on him. "I'm sorry Thanksgiving was so miserable, Dee, and now I've gone and ruined it completely."

            "Nah, it was just fine. You can't plan for these things, and I wouldn't worry too much about JJ and Rose. Bikky's scared the shit out of JJ, and that slut Rose claims he's backing off for now. It was a pretty damn decent holiday, if I say so myself."

            "But the kids…"

He waved his hand. "They don't care. It was probably the best they've had in a while. And hey, here's something that'll cheer you up. Bikky told those goons you were his dad. Guess he listens to you after all, surprise, surprise. Here I thought he was just taking advantage of you."

Ryo smiled weakly. "Oh…"

            "Ryo, you did good. Wasn't exactly a quiet holiday, but who the hell cares?"

The phone rang just then. Dee growled and picked it up. 

            "MacLean residence, you've got Dee Laytner. What do you want?"

            _"Dee? It's Diana. Happy Thanksgiving, doll, I'm in town this weekend and  I was wondering if it was too late to stop over and have a cup of coffee with you guys. My flight…"_

            "Yeah, yeah, it got canceled. What the hell is with all these cancellations anyways?"

            _"Well, it's either snowing or raining in every other part of the country. New York and bits of Boston are the only places that are even relatively sunny."_

Dee sighed. "Sorry, Diana, you'll have to take a rain check. Ryo's not feeling so hot, so we're not entertaining guests for the rest of the night. Is that cool?"

            _"That's cool. Sorry to hear he's under the weather. I'll call you tomorrow and see how he's feeling. Talk to you later, Dee. Bye."_

Ryo touched Dee's arm lightly. "Thank you, Dee."

            "I told you this morning, I'll do anything for you, babe. I love you, and if 'anything' means holding your hair back while you're hugging porcelain, then so be it."

            "You _love _me, Dee?" he asked softly. "I don't think I've ever heard you really say that."

Dee grinned, flopping down on the bed beside him. "Damn straight, Ryo…Ryo?"

The blonde detective was sound asleep, breathing lightly as the color slowly returned to his face. His partner smiled, kissing his forehead gently before deciding to sack out himself. 

            "Happy Thanksgiving, partner. Because babe, you're definitely what I'm most thankful for."

++

[fin]

Notes: Schmaltzy ending, I know. But between Thanksgiving at my house, going to the Nutcracker, and working on a term paper, the thing ended up being late so I had to end it quick.   I know, I called her 'Carol.' No offense to anyone or anything, but 'Cal' sounds like a gay dance instructor. 

And as for JJ…I'm not too fond of the JJ. I feel bad for him, yeah, but he really irritates me. Not too fond of the Berkeley Rose either, but he's not literally throwing himself at Ryo so I can't hate him that much.  

 And Bikky? Well, I know he doesn't really hate Dee as much as he lets on. Well, now that that's over with…hope y'all had a good Thanksgiving (if you even celebrate it), don't get sick on the leftovers.   


End file.
